Free Piston Driven Shock Tube [FPST] is used to heat Ar and
N2 gas mixture to extremely high temperature like 9100 –
12300 K with reflected shock pressure of about 59-70 bar for
about 2-4 ms duration. Shock heated nitrogen gas under this
extreme temperature goes to both non-equilibrium and
dissociation state. Here argon promotes heating of N2 to
higher temperature. At this extreme thermodynamic
condition shock heated nitrogen gas interacts with the
anatase TiO2 at the end of the shock tube. The surface
composition, electronic structure, crystal structure and
surface morphology of the anatase TiO2 sample was
examined before and after shock loading using X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD),
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and High-resolution
transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results
obtained from the experimental investigations shows the
formation of N doped rutile TiO2-xNx. After shock treatment
colour of the top surface of white anatase TiO2 change to
yellow colour indicating nitrogen doping. Under this
temperature anatase TiO2 is subjected to super heating and
cooling in presence of high enthalpy nitrogen and helps to
stabilize the N doped rutile TiO2 structure. In this short
duration, crystallographic phase transformation occurs from
anatase TiO2 to N doped rutile TiO2. An extreme
thermodynamic condition prevalent at the end of the shock
tube makes FPST an important tool for the exploration to
study polymorphic phase transformation of ceramic
materials, materials modification and synthesis of new
materials.